South Korea reports 4 new MERS cases, with total rising to 179

SEOUL, June 24. /TASS/. Four new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been registered in South Korea, bringing the total number of cases to 179, the country’s health ministry said on Wednesday.

A total of 27 people have died from the disease.

The first MERS case was registered in South Korea on May 22. The virus was brought to the country by a South Korean national who returned from his trip to the Middle East.

MERS was first registered in humans in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. The disease spread to Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Tunis, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and France - 23 countries where more than 1,100 cases were registered. Forty percent of cases were lethal. South Korea’s outbreak of the virus is the largest outside Saudi Arabia.